It’s been voted the worst holiday park in the country, coming at the very bottom of a survey of UK holiday parks by Which?.
But Pontins, for millions of Brits, used to be a much-loved holiday staple, as underscored by the former guests and staff we spoke to as the chain teeters on the edge of extinction, with just two parks from the original spread of 33 left.
The level of devotion was intense for some – with one person revealing to MailOnline that she actually ran away to work at a Pontins camp.
Pontin’s was launched (with an apostrophe) in 1946 by Sir Fred Pontin (1906-2000) as an affordable seaside holiday for working-class families, with chalets arranged around communal areas to encourage guests to get to know each other a defining part of the experience.
Bluecoats, rivalling Butlin’s Redcoats, provided entertainment and kept guests happy throughout their stay, which would involve a smorgasbord of activities, from talent competitions to tugs of war and from knobbly knees contests to glamorous granny parades.
And over the years, Pontin’s formed celebrity – and even royal – connections.
Many Bluecoats, such as Shane Richie, Bradley Walsh and Bobby Davro, went on to have successful careers in entertainment, David Bowie and fashion designer Alexander McQueen revealed in a Dazed and Confused magazine interview that they used to holiday at Pontin’s Camber Sands, and Princess Anne reportedly stayed at the Prestatyn Sands Pontin’s in North Wales as part of the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme in the 1960s.
This park is perhaps the most famous, partly because it was a filming location for the 1973 movie Holiday on the Buses, commemorated with a plaque in 2004.
Staff and guests revealed their fond memories of Pontin’s holidays to MailOnline. Above is the Prestatyn resort in North Wales in 1970
Pontin’s was launched in 1946 by Sir Fred Pontin (above, in 1973)
Kymberley Darby (left) worked as a Bluecoat at Pontin’s Brean Sands. She said: ‘I actually ran away to become a Bluecoat at 17’
Unfortunately, Pontin’s declined in popularity in the 1980s when holidays abroad became more affordable.
The company struggled to keep up with the cost of maintenance and failed to modernise the parks.
The chalets and communal dining hall became outdated and Pontin’s parks began to close.
In 2010, the company went into receivership, with most of the parks closing, and in 2011 it was bought by Britannia, a firm continually derided as Britain’s worst hotel chain by an annual Which? survey.
Many Bluecoats, such as Shane Richie (second row, third from left), Bradley Walsh and Bobby Davro, went on to have successful careers in entertainment
Pontin’s Bluecoats Anne Crabtree and Maureen Brampton with roses to present as gifts to guests on Valentine’s Day, 1991
A nephew of Fred Pontin, pictured in the early 1960s
Britannia was operating six parks in 2023, but reviews were generally poor, many commenting on the outdated facilities.
Now, most of the empire has been shut down, along with the apostrophe.
The two remaining open parks are Sand Bay Holiday Village in Weston-super-Mare and Pakefield Holiday Village in Lowestoft (which will temporarily close to guests in 2025 to house workers constructing the Sizewell C nuclear power station).
Looking back at happier times, Kymberley Darby told MailOnline that she was a Bluecoat at Pontin’s Brean Sands and Prestatyn in the early 1990s – a role that was a life goal at the time.
Princess Anne reportedly stayed at the Prestatyn Pontin’s in North Wales as part of the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme in the 1960s. The resort is pictured here in 1985
Prestatyn opened in 1971 and closed in 2023. It’s pictured here in 1985
Pontin’s was launched as an affordable seaside holiday for working-class families. Above – Blackpool’s Pontin’s in 1972
Lisa Lacking and her son at Prestatyn Sands. Lisa said: ‘I went as a child, then took my children. I made a lot of new friends’
LEFT: Holiday on the Buses Weekender 2022 at Pontins Prestatyn. RIGHT: Freya Dyas Jones and her brother at Middletown Towers Holiday Camp in 1949
A Rockabilly Weekend at Pontins Camber Sands in 2013
She revealed: ‘I actually ran away to become a Bluecoat at 17. I packed my little VW Polo and followed my dream. Talking to people and making their holidays memorable was the best thing ever.
‘Sometimes I would work 18 hours a day, but it felt like a constant holiday. The lack of sleep never bothered me – who cares when you’re having fun.
‘When I left my parents’ house, my mum still made my bed and tidied up for me. I got a shock when I stepped into my shared Pontin’s chalet with an outside toilet!’
Bluecoats at Pontin’s Wall Park in Brixham, Devon, in 1977
Peter Gallagher (second on right) worked alongside illusionist Richard de Vere (far left) at Pontin’s Wall Park in 1991
Happy camper Martin Johnson said: ‘From the age of 40, my husband and I would go to Pontin’s in Prestatyn. It was a wonderful holiday park, and we had many good times there. We even won a few competitions!
‘I will never forget when they came to our table with a birthday cake for my husband – and of course we cut it and shared it with all the Bluecoats!’
Meanwhile Lisa Lacking, from Winsford, Cheshire, said: ‘I have been going to Prestatyn Sands Pontin’s since 1985.
‘I went as a child, then took my children. I used to attend the Holiday on the Buses weekenders, too. Great fun, and I made a lot of new friends. Many very happy memories.’
Pontins did not respond to a request to comment on the Which? report.
Pontin’s declined in popularity in the 1980s when holidays abroad became more affordable. Above – the Southport Pontins, which closed in January 2024
In 2010, Pontin’s went into receivership and in 2011 it was bought by Britannia, a firm continually derided as Britain’s worst hotel chain by an annual Which? survey
Britannia was operating six parks in 2023, but reviews were generally poor, many commenting on the outdated facilities. Above, Prestatyn Sands Pontins
The Prestatyn Pontins today. Lisa Lacking said she formed ‘many very happy memories there’
The two remaining open parks are Sand Bay Holiday Village in Weston-super-Mare and Pakefield Holiday Village in Lowestoft. Above – Prestatyn Sands
